Wearing coaches' headsets during bowl game helped Pitt freshman QB Mason Heintschel

The only perk missing from Mason Heintschel’s first two months at Pitt was a microphone for the headset he wore while standing on the sideline during the Panthers’ appearance in the GameAbove Sports Bowl.

Did Pitt’s freshman quarterback offer coaches any suggestions?

“I wish. Boy, that would have been a blast,” he said.

No matter. Only days removed from high school, Heintschel still had the opportunity to listen to play calls and conversation among Pitt’s coaches, especially offensive coordinator Kade Bell, during the six-overtime game Dec. 26.

It was a unique part of Heintschel’s indoctrination to the college game and how players and coaches approach it at Pitt. He enrolled early from Clay High School in Oregon, Ohio (a Toledo suburb), and was welcomed in December after he signed his letter of intent and before he started winter classes.

“It was an awesome experience for me, just being able to see in person how fast they go,” he said, “experience what a college football game is like. I can watch from the stands, but it’s different when you’re on the field.

“That was fun being able to hear everybody. My head was definitely spinning. I didn’t know any of the offense. It’s all part of the learning process. That’s why I’m here early.”

Heintschel has joined Bell’s quarterback classroom that includes incumbent starter Eli Holstein, who missed the bowl game with an injury, and backups Julian Dugger (Penn Hills) and David Lynch, both of whom manned the position during Pitt’s 48-46 loss to Toledo.

Heintschel, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound three-star prospect, started three seasons at Clay, throwing for 7,322 yards and 79 touchdowns. He completed 69.1% of his passes as a senior (188 of 272) while throwing for 2,444 yards and 35 touchdowns and rushing for 770 and six. While Heintschel earned his second Northern Lakes League Offensive Player of the Year honor, Clay won its first championship in 43 years.

Heintschel said he was able to create plays “off script” during his high school career.

“There’s only so much you can do inside of an offense, going through reads,” he said. “When things hit the fan, you don’t back down from pressure. You try to make a play. That’s something I really did well in high school and hope it can translate to college football.”

He also revealed a personal characteristic of loyalty that probably endeared him to Bell and Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi as much as his passing stats. He said he warded off advances from some Ohio private schools trying to get him to transfer.

“Being able to stay in my home school and play with my guys, that was something big for me,” said Heintschel, who committed to Pitt as a junior, second-earliest from the 2025 class to make a verbal pledge.

Heintschel is part of a large group of newcomers Narduzzi added to the roster since the end of the season. It includes 21 freshmen and 13 transfers.

Among the portal additions is six-year senior offensive tackle Jeff Persi, who played in 41 games at Michigan from 2020-2024, with three starts at left tackle.

Persi (6-foot-8, 310) honed his craft in practice while tangling with Michigan defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, projected first-round draft choices this year.

“I dealt with them more when I was taking guard reps,” he said. “It’s good to go against guys like that in practice, sharpen iron, better your game. I think it’s a good challenge. It really helps translate to when it matters.”

Persi, who has one year of remaining eligibility, admitted he has room to improve in the pass game, noting it’s “something I really haven’t had a ton of practice with (at Michigan).

“It will be really good to be able to supplement my game.”

Among the incoming freshmen is 5-10, 170-pound running back Ja’Kyrian Turner of Wildwood, Fla.

Turner, who also played wide receiver at South Sumter High School, said he has been timed in the 40-yard dash in 4.29 and 4.32 seconds. He has speed possibly on par with Pitt running back Desmond Reid, although he said they have not raced one-on-one.

“I wouldn’t back down,” he said.

When he was asked about being the fastest player on the field in high school, Turner said, “I feel like nobody has the speed that I have. I just have to know how to use it in different ways, making (tacklers) miss, change my direction.”

He said he isn’t finished shaving down his 40 time.

“I feel I can always get faster,” he said.